1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the management of right-protected content. More particularly, the present invention relates to a license consignment method and system for a portable device that is capable of improving utilization reliability and manageability of a license.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is an access control technology that is used to protect the intellectual property of distributed digital media by limiting its use through encryption techniques. That is, DRM technology securely transmits contents from a Content Provider (CP) to a user and protects the contents from being illegally used and distributed. DRM technologies attempt to prevent the digital contents through all the phases of creation, distribution, use and abrogation, and restrict access and usage rights of a user on the digital contents in online and even offline states.
In order for a portable device to consume a DRM-protected content (or DRM content), the portable device downloads the DRM content from a content server and a license required for consuming the DRM content from a right issuer. After the DRM content and its license are completely downloaded, the portable device can consume the DRM content.
Typically, the license of the DRM content can be obtained by paying for downloading from the right issuer. Accordingly, the user pays for the license and downloads the license from the right issuer by means of a communication device, such as a personal computer or a portable device.
For various reasons, the license issued for a portable device is required to be consigned to another device. However, an effective license consignment technique has not yet been proposed.
Therefore, a need exists for a license consignment system and method for providing a portable device with efficient license consignment procedures for improving utilization of the license.